Scriptural evidence, that those who have died, without hearing about Jesus Christ
have not gone to Hell. The Millennium as a free-grace alternative to Purgatory.

Instead of going to heaven or hell when you die, Scripture focuses on the resurrection as the means of eternal
life. Justification is a heavenly court-room decision. There are two justifications.

The first justification happended at the cross. All men were "justified to life" (Romans 5:18) by the
sacrifice of Christ on the cross. God reconciled Himself to all of Adam's children. "For as in Adam
all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive." (1 Corinthains 15:22).

The second justificaiton happens when we, as individuals, are justified by his blood (Romans 5:9).
We become believers by asking God to forgive our sins and we commit our lives to serving Christ.
This second justification begins our individual journey of being reconciled back to the Father. That journey
is called sanctification, which leads to eternal life (Romans 6:22). But sanctification only comes as
we serve the Father (Romans 6:21-22). We can't sanctify (to be made holy) ourselves.

As we live and work for Christ the Holy Spirit changes us and we overcome all our sinful habits. Those
who live and work for Christ will overcome all their sinful habits and will inherit eternal life. They are
sanctifed (made holy) by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:16). They will reign with Christ at the time of the
resurrection, when Christ sets up his earthly kingdom.

Paul prays that we may be completely sanctificed (made holy) (1 Thessalonians 5:23) by the time
Christ returns. We need to be completely sanctified (made holy) before we die. All men were justified to
life (Romans 5:18) in the first justification. This means those who fail to complete their journey of
sanctifion can be raised in the second resurrection, to live in the nations (Gentiles), with mortal
bodies. It's called a resurrection of judgment (John 5:28-29). They will continue their journey of
sanctification when Christ reigns over the nations. But those who overcome all their sinful habits will
be raised in the first resurrection (John 5:28-29) with eternal life. They will reign with Christ over
the nations (Revelation 2:26) during Christ's millennial reign. Thus, the millennium is a free-grace
alternaltive to Purgatory.

Go No Further - Unless You Like Doctrine

Some of us enjoy the study of Scripture. We study the various interpretations of Scripture and their
histories. These are called doctrines. Others avoid doctrine because it's divisive in the
Church. They would say, Let's just preach the gospel. But which gospel should we preach?

Catholics view salvation as a journey of sanctification. In our walk with Christ we overcome all our
sinful habits. Only then can one get into heaven. Protestants tend to view salvation as more
of a one-time decision for Christ. Our sins are forgiven. We should overcome our sinful
habits. But failure to do so would not prevent one from going to heaven.

Protestants say that salvation is by grace and through faith alone, that no man (or woman) should
boast. But what is the definition of grace? One's definition of grace is going to be determined
by wither or not one views salvation as a journey. If salvation is a one-time decision, then grace is
the forgiveness of sins. If salvation is a journey, then grace is God's presence or work to change us
on the inside so that we no longer sin.

The doctrine of salvation is very important to get right. We should never simply assume that our
church is right and everyone else is wrong. We don't have to agree on everything. But we must agree
on the Gospel of the Kingdom before we can expect Christ to return. Christ is not going to return to a
divided Church.

But the study of doctrine is not for everyone. If God has not given you a love for the study of
Scripture, for the study of doctrine, then pray that God will bring unity in the Church. Pray that God
will bring unity in agreement on the doctrine of Salvation. Then, and only then, can we be united in
preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom to all the nations. The Catholic doctrine of salvation and the
Protestant doctrine of salvation cannot both be correct. Until the correct doctrine of salvation is
preached to all the nations, the end will not come.

The Gospel of the Kingdom is based on the New Wine System of doctrine.
It's a doctrine that's in the middle between that of Catholics and Protestants. I believe it to be a much
more literal interpretation that focuses on interpreting the New Testament in the context of a literal
interpretation of the Old Testament. But if doctrine is not your calling, then pray about
The Gospel of the Kingdom. Is this the gospel which God affirms in your heart? If so, pray that God will unite the Church under this Gospel. Spread this Gospel of the Kingdom to
everyone you know. And repent, for the kingdom of Jesus Christ is coming soon.

Paul tells us that salvation is a free gift, so that no man can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). No
amount of work can earn one's salvation. This is true. However, Jesus tells us the kingdom of
heaven is like a pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46). The merchant sold everything
he had for it. Was he ripped off? Did he sell everything for what others were getting
for free? Or is the kingdom a reward that is much greater than just salvation?

The early church distanced themselves from the Jews. They didn't interpret Scripture in the context of
Old Testament Jewish Scripture. Because of this, we have very distorting presuppositions about Scripture.
These presuppositions cause us to have vast differences in interpretation between Catholics and Protestants, and
between the various denominations of the Protestants. The New
Wine System solves all this by truly interpreting the New Testament in the context of the Old in
a very literal way. The Old Testament is also interpreted very literally. Click on the picture
of three books, or on the title above, for (more) information.

The Gospel of the Kingdom is best understood when one first understands the Gospel of
the Resurrection.

We celebrate the Resurrection one day of the year, which is Easter. Every other day pastors teach
that believers die and go to heaven. But is this the gospel which was preached by the early
Church? In the early part of the book of Acts, the resurrection of Jesus is proclaimed 6
times (Acts 1:22, 2:31, 4:2, 4:33, 17:18, 17:32). Then later in Acts 23, the hope of our resurrection
is proclaimed 4 times (Acts 23:6, 23:8, 24:15, 24:21). Scripture does not teach that we die and then
go to heaven. Scripture teaches that Christ alone has ascended into heaven
(Acts 1:11, Hebrews 8:1, 1 Peter 3:22). Since Christ has already been resurrected, Christ is the
firstfruits. We must wait for our turn to be resurrected.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 ESV But in fact Christ has been
raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death,
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made
alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong
to Christ.

Some will argue that we get spiritual bodies and go to heaven prior to the resurrection. But a "spiritual body" is
only taught in verse 44 of this very same chapter. Verse 35 says, But someone will ask, "How are the dead
raised? With what kind of body do they come?" Then in verses 35 to 44, Paul tells us about the two types of
bodies at the time of the resurrection! A spiritual body is simply a body that is born of the Holy Spirit, as
alluded to in John 3. Flesh gives birth to flesh and Sprit gives birth to Spirit. We must be "born again" into
a spiritual body in order to enter the kingdom of heaven (John 3:5-8). But this happens at the time of the
resurrection! The gospel (good news) is all about the resurrection! Paul says that we have no hope of an
afterlife without the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:17-19 ESV And if Christ has not been
raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.&nbsp Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ
have perished.&nbsp If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

There is no hope of an afterlife without the resurrection. There is no hope in an intermediate state. Our
resurrection is patterned after the resurrection of Christ. There is no hope of rejoicing in heaven until the time
of the resurrection. At the resurrection those in Christ will be raised imperishable (verse 52). The sting of
death is not removed until then.

1 Corinthians 15:54-55 ESV When the perishable puts on the
imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed
up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"

Some will argue that we will be "clothed" with a heavenly body and that "while we are at home in the body
we are away from the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:6), and that "we would rather be away from the body and at home
with the Lord" (verse 8). However, if we do a comparison between 2 Corinthians 5 and our resurrection
chapter of 1 Corinthians 15, we can see that Paul is talking about the resurrection in both cases. See
section 2.5 in my book New Wine for the End Times for more information. Chapter 2 of my book is all about the
problems with this argument and with all the other arguments people have used go against Paul's clear teachings about
the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15.

The early church preached the resurrection to the Greek culture because the disciples had witnessed the resurrection. This
was very different from the Greek culture, who already believed in a spiritual life after death, but not the
resurrection. Because of this unique eyewitness testimony, the disciples preached the gospel of the resurrection
all over their known world. The disciples were willing to die for their eyewitness testimony of the
resurrection. But today the churches compromise on the gospel of the resurrection and say that both are true.

The resurrection cannot be preached without the fact that the cross comes first. You can preach dying and going
to heaven without the cross. But you cannot preach the resurrection without the cross. If we expect to be
resurrected into eternal life like Christ, we must take up our crosses and live for Christ. We must be ready to
die a martyr's death for Christ. That's the gospel of the Cross followed by the Resurrection.

The pretribulation rapture only makes sense if one believes in going to heaven before the time of the
resurrection. But those who endure to the end of the great tribulation will be saved (Matthew 10:22,
24:13, Mark 13:13). Only those who take of their crosses and follow Christ can be his
disciples (Luke 14: 26, 17, 33). Does that mean all others will go to hell? No, they can be raised in
the second resurrection with mortal bodies, not spiritual bodies. The resurrection is the focus of
the New Wine System.

On the night before the crucifixion, Jesus prayed that we, the Church, would be one even
as he and the heavenly Father are one. This was probably true during the time of the
first church. But it's certainly not true today. Does the Father answer the
prayers of Jesus? Will Jesus return to find his Church split between the Eastern
Orthodox, the Roman Catholics, and the Protestants? Or can we expect a Great Awakening
in the Church which will fundementally unite the Church?

Can we expect to agree on every doctrinal issue before Christ returns? Perhaps not.
But if we can agree on the doctrine of salvation then we will be fundementally united.
If we can agree on the doctrine of salvation then other issues will work themselves out.

Did Luther go perhaps a bit too far when he established the Protestant doctrine of salvation?
Have we drifted even further than Luther would have intended? Could it be that the truth
hides in the middle, between the Catholic and the Protestant doctrines?

The application of Old Testament Jewish eschatology to the New Testament Church solves
seven major problems of Scripture, which have divided the Protestant Church over the centuries.
The New Wine System literally interprets Scripture
along the same lines as the Jewish eschatology system of that day. And it reveals a truth that
hides in the middle between the Catholic and the Protest doctines of salvation. We can explore
that truth by reading Romans under a new light, or in other words, with a more Jewish and Old Testament
set of presuppositions.

You may make copies of the PDF eBook edtion of this book and send it to anyone so long as no
changes are made. The PDF eBook is freely downloadable. (See the links under the book cover
to the left.)

The Third and Final Great Awakening will come as Catholics and Protestants
are Re-United in Agreement on the Doctrine of Salvation.

The Third and Final Great Awakening will come as Catholics and Protestants are
Re-United in Agreement on the Doctrine of Salvation.

Protestants view the following verse as being saved first, and then doing works because we are saved. Salvation
is often viewed as being a past-tense event. And yet many verses speak of salvation as a journey and not a past-tense
event. Catholics view salvation as a journey.

Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV For by grace you have been saved through
faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may
boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesusfor good works, which God prepared
beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Because Catholics view salvation as a journey, they recognize that works are a fundamental part of the process of
being saved. When reading this verse, Protestants would put emphasis on salvation being "not your own doing" and "not a
result of works." That's because salvation is thought of as a past-tense event. Catholics, in viewing salvation
being a journey, might put more emphasis on the fact that "we are his workmanship, created, for good works." Works
becomes an integral part of the process of being saved.

A lot rides on the whether or not salvation is a journey. This verse (above) frames salvation as being in the
past-tense for the believer in saying, "by grace you have been saved." But this verse (below) makes it clear that
salvation is a journey. Some will argue that Paul is speaking of two types of salvation. But that would allow
the reader to discount the Scriptural truth about our need to work out our own salvation.

Philippians 2:12-13 ESV Therefore, my beloved, as you have always
obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Salvation is best understood as being a journey in which we have an assurance that "he who began a good work in you
will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). With this assurance, Paul can
characterize salvation as completed even through it's not yet completed. It's like in the Old Testament. In
Isaiah 53:5 we read about the Christ being crushed for our iniquities in the past tense. Yet it would not
actually happen for another nine hundred years.

If salvation is a journey, then how is this reconciled with Ephesians 2:8-10 as quoted earlier? The answer
is that both faith and grace are also part of that journey. Grace is not simply God forgiving of sins. Grace
is the active presence or work of the Holy Spirit in us, especially as we do the work of the Father.

Grace is God's presence or work. Paul said, "For by grace [God's work] you
have been saved through [continual] faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God, not of [your] works, that no one would boast. For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that
we would walk in them" (Eph. 2:8-10). We are not saved by works. We are saved by God's work.

This understanding of grace, and that grace is part of our journey of salvation, will help both the Catholics and
the Protestants understand the true gospel of the kingdom. The gospel of the resurrection, and the doctrine of
salvation includes works. As we do God's works, the Holy Spirit works in us to change us. Thus, we overcome
all our sinful habits.

But what happens if we believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, but don't really have faith that he can change us so that
we no longer sin? Believers who die while still sinning will not go to hell. But they will be resurrected in
the second resurrection instead of the first resurrection. They will have a mortal body instead of an
eternal life spiritual body.

1 John 3:5-6 ESV You know that he appeared to take away sins,
and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either
seen him or known him.

Matthew 7:21-23 ESV "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will
enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say
to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in
your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

Matthew 25:11-13 ESV Afterward the other virgins came also, saying,
'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch
therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Seven major problems are solved by literally applying Old Testament Jewish eschatology to
the New Testament Church. The New Wine System is a very
literal interpretation of Scripture. (more)

1) Calvinism vs. Arminianism (election vs. free-will). Solving this major Church divider without the use of
paradoxes, or two sides of the same coin. (more)

2) Salvation is a free gift. But inheriting the Kingdom requires lots of work. Solving the friction
between grace and holiness verses. (more)

3) Does salvation require fruits of the Spirit? Solving the friction between Lordship Salvation and
Free Grace Theology. (more)

4) The millennium as a free-grace alternative to purgatory. Solving the differences in salvation verses
between Catholicism and Protestantism. (more)

5) Would a loving God have a merciful plan for our loved ones who have died having never heard or understood
about Jesus Christ? (more)

6) Jewish eschatology provides Scriptural evidence that children who die young do not go to
hell. (more)

7) Amillennialism vs. Premillennialism. Scriptural evidence for the purpose of Christ's Messianic
reign. The millennium is the climax of God's plan for all
generations. (more)

The application of Old Testament Jewish eschatology to the New Testament Church solves
these seven major problems of Scripture, which have divided the Church over the centuries.
Most of the New Testament was written by Jews. The New Wine
System literally interprets Scripture along the same lines as the Jewish eschatology system of
that day. The Jewish New Testament authors applied Old Testament prophecies about Israel to the New
Testament Church. If we do the same, then these seven major problems of Scripture are solved. In
addition, many verses of other topics that have been hard to understand start fitting the system and
become easily understood.

"What drew me to this book was how big it thought. I've been somewhat dissatisfied with each of the systems of
Bible understanding I've encountered (Reformed, Arminian, Church of Christ and what I've seen of Catholic), but was
okay with the one I stuck with because it seemed the best at the time. I was willing to apply patches to the
system to keep it working. The patches involved stretching verses to make everything fit into the framework of
the old system. This book establishes a new system. You can't pick out one part of the book to understand
without reading much of the rest of the book. While reading this book, I kept on thinking "Oh yeah... that
verse! I've wondered about that. That makes sense." I was glad someone was taking all those verses
seriously." (From a review on Amazon by James Banks)

The Gospel of the Kingdom: Reconciliation,
Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification

"Through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of
righteousness, all men were justified to life" (Rom. 5:18). "For
as in Adam all die, so also in Christall will be made alive"
(1 Cor. 15:22).

"We were reconciled to God through the death of his Son" (Romans 5:10).
Jesus said, "I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." (John 12:32).
Paul said Jesus Christ is the, "Savior of all people, especially of those who believe"
(1 Tim. 4:10). See 1 Cor. 15:22, 1 John 2:2, Rom. 11:32,
1 Tim. 2:3-6, 1 John 2:2, Heb. 2:9, John 6:33, Titus 2:11,
2 Cor. 5:14-15, and Rom. 5:18-19. Reconciliation has nothing to do with what we might do, say,
or believe. We were all reconciled. But those who reject Christ lose
their reconciliation to God.

Reconciliation is not justification. New believers are justified and
receive the Holy Spirit. Justification is the start of sanctification, when we are
credited with righteousness. Later, after completing our journey of sanctification,
making good on that credit, we will be glorified with immortal bodies at the
resurrection. But we must complete that journey.

Jesus said, "I am the [road], the truth, and the life. No one [journeys] to the
Father, except through me" (John 14:6). Salvation includes a journey of faith.
Paul said, "May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May
your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23).

Grace is God's presence or work. Paul said, "For by grace [God's work] you
have been saved through [continual] faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God, not of [your] works, that no one would boast. For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that
we would walk in them" (Eph. 2:8-10). We are not saved by works. We are saved
by God's work.

Sanctification is a free gift by grace (God's work) alone since the Holy Spirit
changes us on the inside. But without our works there is no sanctification
and thus no eternal life. Paul said, "But now, being made free from sin,
and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification,
and the result of eternal life" (Rom. 6:22). So without works as a
servant, there is no fruit of sanctification and thus no eternal life.
Therefore, we must complete our journey of sanctification before we can
inherit the kingdom and receive eternal life.

We are saved by faith and through grace. But faith without works is dead
(James 2:17, 2:26). Our belief and faith are not one-time events. By faith
and belief we are sanctified as we do the works of the Father. "He who began a
good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).&nbsp "Follow
after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will
see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).

John 3:16, 18 For God so loved the world,
that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have
eternal life. ... He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn't believe
has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only
Son of God.

Belief and faith are a journey. Those who willfully refuse Christ's journey are judged
already, which means they've lost their reconciliation. Those who complete
their journey to overcome sin will be given eternal life. Those who
fall short in this age will be able to continue their journey after the
resurrection in the age to come. But you can lose your reconciliation
if you willfully turn away from God and keep on sinning.

Hebrews 10:26-27 For if we sin willfullyafter we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins,
but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour
the adversaries.

Because Christ is the second Adam, all men were "justified to life." Even nonbelievers
who remain reconciled are Christ's sheep and still hear his voice.
Christ's lost sheep still hear his voice and remain reconciled with God,
even if they die. There are two types of bodies at the resurrection:
glorified bodies and mortal bodies. If you die before completing your journey,
Christ will simply raise you up with a mortal body. But you will still
be under judgment. You can complete your journey in the age to come.
But those who reject Christ no longer hear his voice. They have lost
their reconciliation and will not be resurrected.

John 5:25 Most certainly, I tell you, the hour comes, and now
is, when the dead will hear the Son of God's voice; and those who hear will live.

John 5:28-29 Don't marvel at this, for the hour comes, in which
all that are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come out; those who have done good, to
the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.

Part One of this book
gives an overview of events that should happen during the course
of the end times. This view of eschatology is a literal furture-fulfillment
interpretation. But it doesn't fit most of the more dispensational future-fulfillment views of
eschatology. Scriptural reasons for these views will be covered in detail.

The first departure from the traditional is that there are two antichrists. The world
ruler is the first beast and the false prophet of Revelation is the second beast. From
Daniel, we know that the beast is a ruler who does not acknowledge God. The false
prophet, I believe, will be one of the ten kings of the earth and will rule the Islamic
middle-east. He will be considered the Mahdi by Muslims. The one-world religion
will be Islam.

The second departure from the traditional is that Ezekiel 38 and 39 are two different events
occurring at different times. Ezekiel 38, I believe happens perhaps six months before
the seven-year covenant. This is also the sixth seal of Revelation. Ezekiel 39, I
believe, is Armageddon.

The third departure from the traditional is that the New Jerusalem will appear at the time
of Ezekiel 38, which is prior to the seven-year covenant. This is when Christ
appears. But the resurrection and rapture are not until after seven-year covenant. Today,
the Church is not ready for the rapture. And it's not the antichrist who makes this
covenant. Christ makes this covenant of Daniel 9:27, with the Church, to give us seven
more years to overcome sin.

Part Two of this book
is a complete commentary on Daniel from the Islamic Antichrist
Perspective. The reader will find this commentary to be significantly different
from other commentaries on Daniel. Some commentaries are futurist oriented while others are
preterist oriented.&nbs; Both of these traditional views of Daniel understand the legs of iron to be
Rome. This book takes the Islamic antichrist perspective.&nbsp From this perspective, the legs of
iron is the Islamic Caliphate. You will find an abundance of Scriptural evidence for this
view.

Since Revelation is interpreted in the context of Daniel and other Old Testament books, the
Islamic antichrist perspective also has a dramatic impact on the interpretation of Revelation. I
never really understood Revelation clearly until I learned to see Daniel from this perspective. Thus,
this commentary on Daniel is important background information for part three of this book, which
is a complete commentary on Revelation.

Part Three of this book
is a complete commentary on Revelation from the Islamic Antichrist
Perspective. Revelation has more Old Testament allusions than any other New Testament
book. Most scholars know about these references to the Old Testament. But every
traditional interpretation of Revelation chooses to ignore this Old Testament context. Revelation
is packed full of symbols. And most of the symbols can be found in the Old Testament. I
believe that no interpretation of Revelation is valid without bringing the meaning of these Old
Testament symbols into Revelation. We should not just guess at what a symbol might
mean. Let's let Scripture interpret Scripture.

This view of Revelation is also from the Islamic antichrist perspective. The legs of iron
in Daniel 2 were argued to be the Islamic Caliphate instead of the Roman Empire. This view
of Revelation picks up on that idea. There are several riddles in Revelation. Of the
seven heads, five have fallen, one is, and one is to come. The beast once was, now is not, but
will come again. The answers to these riddles begin to make a lot of sense when the
Islamic Caliphate is recognized as being the seventh head. You will find that this
interpretation of Revelation brings clarity to every riddle and symbol.

The Gospel of the Kingdom cannot be properly understood
outside the context of the End Times.

Salvation is all about the resurrection on the Day of the Lord. The resurrection occurs in the context of the
end times. If the end times is not properly understood, then salvation is not properly understood.

The study of the end times is called eschatology. Most pastors will not touch eschatology with a ten-foot
poll. However, the Jewish culture at the time of Christ was very much centered on Jewish eschatology. They hated
Roman rule over their lives and believed that the Messiah would come to overthrow the Roman kingdom. The term "kingdom of
heaven" or "kingdom of God" is a reference to the eternal kingdom that will begin here on the earth when the Messiah
comes. This can be seen in Daniel 2, 7, 8, 9, and 12. We must interpret the words of Jesus in the context of
their eschatology centric culture. With the words of Jesus taken out of the context of Old Testament
eschatology, the gospel of the kingdom is misunderstood. Church is not ready for the rapture.

Daniel 9:24 ESV "Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your
holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting
righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.

Many say this was accomplished at the cross. But this is a requirement for "your people" and "your holy
city." It's not something that Christ would do on the cross. Vision and prophecy were not sealed up at the
cross. The book of Revelation required vision and prophecy. Daniel had been praying for the forgiveness of Israel's
sins and for the desolation of Jerusalem to come to an end. Seventy weeks of non-desolation were decreed for God's people
to stop sinning. Gentile believers must also stop sinning because we were grafted into Israel.

After being scattered to Babylon for sin, God's people were given a specific amount of time to stop sinning before the
Messiah would come. This was not a "no man knows the day or hour" type of thinking. John the Baptist
preached, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:3). John was saying that the Messiah was about to
arrive, and that the time allotted to Israel to stop sinning was just about to end.

The seventy weeks of years were explicitly split into two groups. There were sixty-two weeks and seven weeks. I believe
the sixty-two weeks were over when Christ was born. Then there was one week until the death of Herod. After that, Israel
had seven weeks to stop sinning.

But Israel failed to even recognize their Messiah. They continued to sin. The seven weeks were moved into the
future for a second coming. At this point, the timing of the Messiah's return became unknown. But we are told to
watch the signs and be ready for Christ to return. Being ready, in that context would mean that we must put an end to
sin before the return of Christ. That's the purpose of the seventy weeks.

Gentile believers are grafted into Israel. We share in Israel's destiny to rule the nations when the Messiah sets
up his kingdom (Revelation 2:26). But the Church today is no more ready for the Messiah to come than Israel was when
Christ came the first time. This time, the Holy Spirit was given to change us on the inside as we do the works of the
Father. But most in the Church deny that the Holy Spirit can change us so that we no longer sin. We have a form
of godliness but we deny the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome all our sinful habits.

We are told to watch the signs. This is like the watchman in the night. To watch for the enemy to come is to
be ready. The enemy is sin. As we watch the signs, we get ready by overcoming all our sinful habits.

1 John 3:5-6 ESV You know that he appeared to take away sins,
and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either
seen him or known him.

Matthew 7:21-23 ESV "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will
enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say
to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in
your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

Matthew 25:11-13 ESV Afterward the other virgins came also, saying,
'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch
therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

It's the wicked servant who will not know the day or the hour. The wise servant will know. When Christ returns, he
will confirm a "covenant with many" for one more week so that the Bride will make herself ready. We watch for the coming of
the great tribulation.